PA Cyber, other area schools fail to meet state standards

Tuesday

Sep 25, 2012 at 12:01 AMSep 25, 2012 at 1:15 AM

By Bill UtterbackCalkins Media

Four days after the Midland-based Pennsylvania Cyber School fired four top administrators and its solicitor, the state Department of Education released test results that showed PA Cyber students failed to achieve state standards during the 2011-12 school year.

PA Cyber students from third through 12th grades missed 18 of 19 state-determined targets in mathematics and 11 of 19 targets in reading, according to Department of Education figures. PA Cyber students failed to reach any of 13 math targets for students between sixth and 12th grades.

Only 55 percent of eligible male students graduated from PA Cyber, compared with a state average of 81 percent, according to state figures.

Michael Conti, a longtime PA Cyber administrator who was appointed chief executive officer in July after founder Nick Trombetta retired, said he did not know of a connection between the 2012 average yearly progress reports and the dismissal of four administrators by PA Cyber’s board of directors a week ago.

“Not to my knowledge,” he said when asked whether the AYP scores affected the board’s decisions.

PA Cyber was one of seven area schools that failed to reach the state’s average yearly progress standards, which escalate every year. Ambridge Area, Big Beaver Falls Area, Blackhawk, Ellwood CityArea, Rochester Area and South Side Area also failed to achieve AYP recognition.

A year ago, every school district in The Times’ area achieved AYP recognition.

“For a lot of schools across the state, there were some troubling scores this year,” Conti said. “The benchmarks are higher, but we’re not making excuses. We’re disappointed, and we’re analyzing the data and looking for areas where we can make adjustments and do a better job of educating our children.”

Conti said that many PA Cyber students who were tested a year ago were first-year students who previously struggled during testing in their home district.

“We recognize it is our job to get those students achieving at an acceptable level.”

The state department of education acknowledged that test scores were down across the state. A department release said scores overall were down 1.4 percent in math and 1.6 percent in reading.

Ambridge Area reached only six of 13 reading targets and eight of 13 math targets. Ambridge failed to reach each of three reading targets at the high school.

Big Beaver Falls Area missed every target — three in reading and three in math — at the high school level.

Blackhawk failed to reach two of three reading targets and two of three math targets at the high school, and was flagged for the performance of economically disadvantaged students at the high school.

Rochester Area failed to reach AYP because of a graduation rate that dropped to 68 percent, from 73 percent in 2011.

South Side Area failed to reach AYP because of a graduation rate that slid from 84.1 percent to 81.8 percent. The report also noted that only 54.7 percent of South Side’s high school students were performing at a proficient level in math

Ellwood City missed each of three reading targets at the high school.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.